Find your next great read by exploring my reviews of this eclectic collection of YA books about self esteem and self reliance.

Reading books about confident protagonists or characters who overcome challenges to achieve great things can be very motivational. Who doesn’t love a hero? Don’t we all cheer for survivors and winners? Those words apply to ordinary people, not just Marvels.

Here are my personal recommendations for YA books about self esteem and self reliance. What the stories have in common is one or more characters who struggle and grow. This is what it means to be human.

Against the Pack by Khristina Chess

“And once you decided you were going in the wrong direction, how did you find your way back? What happened when you couldn’t go back?” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Against the Pack

OH MY GOSH!!! Incredible! What I love most about Against the Pack is the way this story hooks you from the beginning and doesn’t let go. It’s impossible to put this one down. Melender is a gritty character who fights to live, and I was breathless as she journeyed toward the novel’s thrilling ending. This is the kind of wilderness survival adventure that explores the core spirit of a person, and as the hours and days unfold, the complicated nature of the relationship between Melender and her mom becomes apparent.

You won’t want to miss this action-packed, emotionally raw YA book about self reliance and self esteem.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This series has everything: a relatable and flawed heroine in Katniss, a love triangle, life-and-death adventure, good and evil, self reliance, a stark world of intense poverty contrasted against ridiculous gluttony, and deeper themes about society at large.

This series is amazing. I could read it multiple times and still find new things to love. I have seen the movies multiple times, but there are things in the books that are just wonderful.

Don’t miss these lovely books if you’re looking for YA books about self esteem and self reliance.

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

“There's different ways of doing things wrong, Lynn, and not all of it is choosing to hurt others. Sometimes it's the things you don't do that make you feel the worst.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from Not a Drop to Drink

Set in an apocalyptic future where drinking water is scarce and people fight for survival in a wild frontier, Lynn is a young woman in rural Ohio defending a pond and her homestead. Her mother raised her to distrust, to fight, and to live, and that's what she intends to do.

I enjoyed watching Lynn's fierce character evolve into a person who was willing to allow others into her life, to trust and even love. Despite her hardness, she had a kind heart. There were some interesting scenes in interactions with other people, like the stranger on the road, that tested her humanity.

Not a Drop to Drink was also a fast, thrilling YA book about dystopian survival, and its sequel, In a Handful of Dust, follows Lynn and her adopted daughter Lucy into the unknown after a mysterious plague drives them away from their home and community and into the wilderness.

If you’re looking for compelling YA books about self esteem and self reliance, give these two a try. In fact, Mindy McGinnis is so awesome she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited.

Wonder When You’ll Miss Me by Amanda Davis

“I'd lost forty-eight pounds and my skin had mostly cleared up. I'd missed a whole semester of school and disappeared for seven months. It seemed like no one had even noticed I was gone.” ― Amanda Davis, quote from Wonder When You’ll Miss Me

In Wonder When You’ll Miss Me, sixteen-year-old Faith Duckle still talks to The Fat Girl. She sees her too. Usually The Fat Girl is eating something and offering snarky commentary or advice. Sometimes Faith tells her to go away. Sometimes she listens to her.

Faith was sexually assaulted by a group of boys who made sport of her as the fat girl, and then she tried to kill herself. Then she ended up in a hospital, where she lost the weight but not The Fat Girl. She’s still hanging around.

This is the beginning of the story.

The real story is Faith’s journey when she runs away to join the circus, takes a new name, gets a tattoo, and becomes a handler of elephants. The real story is how Faith and The Fat Girl found healing after such a terrible event.

I loved this book when I read it twenty years ago, and I love it still. Amanda Davis was a gifted author, and you don’t want to miss this YA book about a girl with low self esteem who finds a path through trauma to redemption. Sadly, this author died in a small plane crash at the age of 32, and Wonder When You’ll Miss Me was her only novel.

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

“I know what you’re thinking- if you hate it so much and it’s such a burden, just lose the weight, and then that job will go away. But I’m comfortable where I am. I may lose more weight. I may not. But why should what I weigh affect other people? I mean unless I’m sitting on them, who cares?” ― Jennifer Niven, quote from Holding Up the Universe

I loved this book. Told in alternating viewpoints, this is the story of Libby and Jack. Libby, who weighed 653 pounds at her heaviest, was once labeled “America’s Fattest Teen” and had to be cut out of her own house. After losing a great deal of weight, she returns to school, where she meets Jack through a rather bumpy beginning.

Their relationship struggles are painful but authentic, and the message of the book is that “seeing someone” can happen in many ways. This theme comes through in Jack’s rare condition, Prosopagnosia, which means he can’t recognize people’s faces. He can see but can’t.

As events unfold, Jack and Libby learn about forgiveness and self-acceptance, as well as the transformational power of kindness.

If you’re looking for one of the the sweetest YA books about self esteem and self reliance that give all the good feels, pick up this classic from Jennifer Niven. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Hollow Beauty by Khristina Chess

“I’d always called my body ‘athletic.’ Words like ‘stocky’ and ‘muscular’ described my figure. I was the fastest girl on the track and cross country teams. Muscular, stocky girls weren’t beautiful, though. Skinny girls were. Girls like Erica Miller.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Hollow Beauty

When tall, gorgeous Brody asks Olivia to the prom, she's ecstatic until he suggests that she use the two months before the dance to lose some weight.

But how thin is thin enough?

Body's comment sends Olivia on a spiral of dangerously rapid weight loss that borders on anorexia. As her pounds vanish, her friendship deepens with Ross, the new prep cook at the diner where she works. Despite his mysterious limp, he doesn't suffer crippling low self-esteem issues like she does; she can't even look at herself in the mirror anymore. The only time she doesn't feel ugly or fat is when she goes riding dirt bikes and cave-hunting with Ross. With Brody, instead of finding romance and true love, she feels like a terrified rabbit he's going to devour. 

She's almost thin enough to be beautiful for the prom when the unthinkable happens.

Holy cow! Buckle up for a fast read because Hollow Beauty hooked me from the beginning.

What makes Hollow Beauty special is the realistic portrayal of how Olivia falls into the self-esteem trap of trying to change herself for someone else. I worried about her. I loved seeing her journey and choices as the events escalated toward the story’s climax. It’s a great positive message. This is the kind of authentic novel that really shows how someone with even a little insecurity can be manipulated and hurt.

This book is a must-read for anyone looking for YA novels about self esteem and eating disorders.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” ― Angie Thomas, quote from The Hate U Give

I saw this book everywhere and picked it up, wondering what all the fuss is about. Wow. I couldn't put it down. Starr is an amazing character in a perfectly-crafted situation that screams with tension, suspense, and emotion. Her emotions are raw and authentic. You can feel her little-girl timidity in the grand jury testimony and her grief and rage in the scene with Hailey. Her world is vivid and real. The pain of her dual life and the conflict it causes her is palatable. I loved this book. I love this girl. I want to see her again, doing more, making a difference. She's made me believe in her.

The Hate You Give should be at the top of your must-read list of eclectic YA books about self esteem and self reliance. In fact, after reading this one, I wanted to read everything Angie Thomas has written and also added her to my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s so amazing!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

“We all have to find our own ways to say good-bye.” ― Sherman Alexie, quote from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Junior Spirit is a courageous boy who dares to leave the reservation, his school, and his best friend to seek a different life. His story is funny, heartbreaking, inspiring, and brave. I loved his quirky voice, his cartoons, and I cheered so hard for him in his basketball game.

This novel highlights the contrast between extreme poverty and wealth, as well as racial differences. These themes are handled with humor and sensitivity.

In a list of thought-provoking YA books self esteem books, this one really shines!

We Walked the Sky by Lisa Fiedler

“The show must go on, even when it's not the show you expected to be in.” ― Lisa Felder, quote from We Walked the Sky

Fiedler's multi-generational novel really captured and held my interest. Two parallel stories are running: the grandmother, Victoria, is a 16-year-old who runs away and joins the circus in 1965, and her granddaughter, Callie, is a teen who has followed in her circus footsteps, but now finds herself in a new place.

There are mysteries to unravel and friendships to develop. I loved all the circus lore and animals and characters. Really, it was an enchanting story. I want to read more by this author.

When compiling the list of eclectic YA books about self esteem and self reliance, to read next, be sure to add this one near the top.

Other YA Books about Self Esteem and Self Reliance

If you are looking other YA books about self esteem and self reliance, check out the YA Self Esteem Books list on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic, including substance abuse, mental illness, and others.

Do you have any personal favorites to recommend to me? I’m always looking for another great read in this category.

Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.